Spotlight
Institute of Public
Law's Klett , Van Buskirk pursue the arts
By Laurie
Mellas-Ramirez
Opera
playing softly in Karen Kletts office reverberates off
colorful print-draped walls in Barbara van Buskirks space
next door at the Institute of Public Law (IPL).
Perhaps
its the serious nature of the work IPL staff provide
research, analysis, training, writing and publishing to support
the development of informed public policy and law that
attracts the neighbors to the art world.
After IPLs
doors lock, Klett, training specialist, runs her business Discover
Opera offering evening classes and travel to opera venues.
Van Buskirk, institute administrator, also a professional artist,
created the prints on view in her office. Her first solo exhibition
is set this month at a local gallery.
Klett,
with IPLs Traffic Safety Center for five years, also brings
art to bear in the states fight to reduce the incidence
of DWI among teens. The bureaus Stop DWI Arts Program
has published three books of poetry with work by youth at detention
centers and a home for runaways. One book intermingles poems
by volunteer senior citizens brought in to share life experiences
with the younger generation.
It
helps for the kids to know people on the outside who arent
the old homies. Its in everyones interest to support
the kids in making changes, she said.
Klett arranged
for a Santa Fe Opera artist-in-residence to travel to Grants,
N.M., to help young people set their writing about the dangers
of DWI to music. She is developing a grant proposal to allow
IPL to work with Albuquerque Public Schools at the detention
center on a project that connects the works of Shakespeare to
modern day dilemmas that are then scripted and performed by
the youth.
The
arts help the kids connect with a part of themselves they may
not have known was there, Klett said.
In the
evening, Klett teaches opera appreciation classes. The
students range in age from early 20s to their 70s. Some have
never been to an opera while others simply want to learn more,
she said.
Klett also
arranges tours to opera venues. On May 2, a group of 10 will
make a trip to the Houston Grand Opera where they will be treated
to Renee Flemings long-awaited debut as Violetta in Verdis
La Traviata.
Van Buskirk
joined IPL in 1998. She manages the administrative functions
of the institute and assists 25 staff working on projects in
a dozen realms including traffic safety, environmental and wildlife
law, aging and judicial education.
The
soft money nature of the institute makes change the only constant,
said van Buskirk, who, prior to working at IPL, was with UNMs
Department of Linguistics and has worked in art museums in Massachusetts
and Florida.
Her interest
in art began as a child. She began college intending to pursue
it as a major, but was discouraged early on. Although she had
a knack for painting figures, she couldnt produce landscapes
to her liking to fill a class requirement. She turned to sociology
and later earned a masters in mass communications.
When
New Grounds Print Workshop relocated three blocks from her home
in Nob Hill several years ago she took it as a sign to get serious
about her art, too. She creates monotypes, a form of printmaking
that produces one-of-a-kind works on paper. She does her own
framing cutting and assembling all elements using
frames crafted by a local furniture maker so her pieces are
completely handmade. Although she is now adept at flowery fields,
her trademark is still figures. She completed a collection of
peoplein
cafes.
Organizational
skills helped her develop her art into a full-blown second career
she defies the slacker artist stereotype.
You
can be non-linear and still be very organized. Artists are some
of the hardest working people I know, van Buskirk said.
In September,
a monotype figure by van Buskirk earned first place in printmaking
at the New Mexico State Fair professional fine arts juried exhibit.
She took home the second place award the year prior.
I
think the arts make life worth living, van Buskirk said.
People need to have some way to express their experience
in the world.
The opening reception for Many Lives: Monotypes by Barbara
van Buskirk is Friday, Feb. 21, from 5-9 p.m. at New Grounds
Print Workshop, 3812 Central SE. The exhibition runs through
March 29.
Klett and
van Buskirk have developed Web sites to showcase their talents.
For more information, visit www.bvanb.com
and discoveropera.com.